Billy Whiskers Out for Fun

by Frances Trego Montgomery

ALL the time the Saint Bernard puppy had been telling Stubby, Button and Spot what the bull had done the barnyard had been filling with buggies, wagons, automobiles, hay wagons with straw in them to cover the rack and quilts to cover the hay so it would not stick in the girls’ dresses. Soon the yard was filled to its greatest capacity and the guests were beginning to drive into the yard where the corn crib was in which the Chums were hiding. It was a beautiful day and all had come to the wedding that could possibly get away.

“Boys,” said Button, “we will have to find another hiding-place for all these wagons and buggies have shut off our view.”

“Where shall we go?” asked Stubby. “Spot, you and the pup here know the place better than we do so perhaps you can suggest some place.”

“Let me see,” said Spot, holding her paw up to her face as old ladies do their forefingers to their mouths when thinking. “The only place I can think of is the cellar. But how we are to get in there without being seen by some of these people is more than I can tell.”

“I have it!” spoke up the puppy. “We can sneak out of here and go away around back of the barn and farm buildings and through the orchard until we come to the fence that separates the orchard from the farmhouse lawn. Then we can crawl through and approach the house from the back. There will be no one around there now as they are all busy at the other side of the house where the summer kitchen is. We can creep along from the back of the house to the side window of the cellar that is always left open and we can jump through. It is over the potato bin which is in one corner of the cellar and we can stay in the bin until the family start for church. Should anyone come into the cellar they would not see us, as it has high sides and, besides, it is always dark in that corner.”

“You’re right,” agreed Spot. “That will be a dandy place to hide. But hiding isn’t the best part of the plan. We will be in the house to eat up what goodies are left from the feast. And we might be able to find and pick up a tidbit or two from the floor while they are at the church. If we were outside the house, we would probably be locked out, but once inside we don’t care if we are locked up for an hour or so.”

This plan was considered a good one and in a few minutes you could have seen first a white cat with black spots poke her head under the orchard fence and peer around cautiously in all directions before pulling her whole body through the fence. Then she made running leaps toward the open cellar window and in a jiffy disappeared through it. Close on her heels came a black cat, and then a puppy, but he was too big to crawl through the hole. He had to stop and dig it out so he could squeeze through and while he was doing this, a little stubby-tailed dog took a flying leap over the fence, followed by two white goats, all of which made straight for the cellar window and jumped in. But just before they jumped, Stubby and Button stared in amazement at Billy and Nannie, for it was the first time they had seen them since their return. How was it that Nannie had come back with Billy? But they hadn’t time to ask any questions now.

The potatoes were piled high in the bin close up against the wall. This eased their jump from the window to the floor. But when they landed, it sent the potatoes rolling and they came bang up against the wooden partition at the bottom and made a racket. It chanced that a maid was just leaving the cellar with a pan of milk. Hearing the racket in the dark corner of the cellar, she thought it must be a rat. Being particularly afraid of rats, she screamed and ran for the stairs. In her hurry she stepped on the front of her dress which threw her on her face on the stairs. She dropped the pan of milk which turned over and went rattlety bang to the foot of the stairs and along the cellar floor.

“Now there will be the dickens to pay!” exclaimed Billy. “That maid has made such a racket, she will bring the whole household upon us. We must hide quickly. Nannie, run under the cellar stairs and squeeze yourself in the corner as far as you can. I’ll hide behind that big packing box in the opposite corner.”